A Foster Carer shares her story for the petition, to the Minister

Dear Sir/Madam I have been caregiving for 7 years, giving up full time work as a teacher to enable me to fully support a young person in my home. I find my job incredibly rewarding and personally fulfilling; I also find it isolating and stressful. The young people I have worked with have all had extremely challenging behaviours and as such I have been sworn at, assaulted, stolen from, had a false allegation made about me, and had my home vandalised. My own children have been sworn at, assaulted, stolen from, and had their home vandalized. I have had the Police, Ambulance and Fire Service at my home, due to the actions and behaviours of the troubled youth I work with. I work incredibly hard to give these vulnerable children a loving home with strong boundaries and unlimited support; I do so at the financial and emotional expense of myself and my children. I work 24/7 with no interruption for public holidays, weekends, personal events and occasions. These children get to live in my home and utilise every skill I have to give, for less than $4 an hour. Out of the $4 I get, I provide them with a warm home, a healthy diet, and all of the other costs that "living" entails; washing clothes, hot showers, heaters in winter, power, water, and activities. $4 an hour does not go far at dinner time in Winter when you have the heater on, the child in a hot bath and dinner cooking in the oven. I provide an incredible service to the youth that need me most and I take on all the risk as a "contractor". I deserve to be protected and valued and looked after by the Government and I sincerely hope that you be prepared to "live a day in the life of someone like me" before you tell me that I am not worth more than $4 an hour. Yours sincerely Highly trained and worth every cent Caregiver !